Ultimension: The Hope Of Zero
by CAuthoria-The Candidate
Summary: (Ok, this couldn't wait!) After Bradley comes back to life, he and the 2 CPUS of Planeptune are sucked into the Zero Dimension and are stuck with no way home... And, they can't transform! Well... Bradley also has Orange Hair now and accessed a brand new set of powers. How will our heroes find their way home! Find out today on... Zero Dimension Z! Ugh, sorry for that. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

The Hope Of Zero

Chapter 1: The Call To Action

Gamindustri… A place very much different than ours. There rules several individuals named goddesses to their land that they rule. They're also called CPUS to their people. The goddess Purple Heart rules over Planeptune… The goddess Black Heart rules over Lastation… The goddess White Heart rules over Lowee… And, the goddess Green Heart rules over Leanbox. After the dastardly ASIC was taken down and the ancient land of Tari was overthrown and destroyed… Gamindustri has gone into an era of peace. The Guardian of Gamindustri, 15 year old Bradley Phoenix, has disappeared after the battle with the Deity Of Sin, Arfoire. Now, a new story begins for Bradley Phoenix… As he returns to his home.

-Planeptune- Bradley laid in a flowery field as he looked around. He stood up and stretched his arms out.

"Wow… I'm back. Damn, 4 years take a toll on you," Bradley groaned as he cracked his back, "Gear… I wonder if you're still waiting on me." He transformed into Green Brother and flew off to the nearby city of Planeptune. He arrived a few minutes later and lands on a high balcony as he returned to his human form.

"Wait… How should I greet her? 4 years of my disappearance and I'm nervous of greeting her? Really, dude?" Bradley asked him as a bright light came from the inside.

"Huh?! What the?!" Bradley quickly raced inside and saw 2 lilac purple haired girls about the same height getting pulled into an orange whirlpool. He quickly raced towards them and grabbed the smaller one by her left wrist.

"Huh?! Bradley?! How?!" Neptune called.

"I gotcha! Nepgear, hang on!" Bradley called as he reached out his other hand.

"Bradley…" Nepgear sniveled as she saw him. She reached out her hand as Bradley was hit in the back of the head by something!

"Oww! That hurt! Was that a book?!" Bradley yelled as he looked behind him. Suddenly, a black sphere crashed into him and blew him off his feet. The 3 of them were sucked into the portal as a black shadow smirked evilly at them. It was pleased by what it did.

-Strange City; Later- "Hey, Neptune! Yo, Neppy!" a voice called to an unconscious Neptune. Neptune stirred as she slowly opened her eyes. Bradley was right in her face as she opens her eyes.

"EEK! What the Nep?!" she screamed as she smacked Bradley and crawled backwards away from him. Bradley rubbed his sore cheek and sighed.

"At least you're awake now," Bradley grumbled as he shook his head, "And, is that any way to treat a practical brother in law?"

"You and Nep Jr. aren't even married yet, buster!" Neptune told him.

"A guy can dream, can't he?" Bradley asked as he stood up. Nepgear was looking at her N-Gear the entire time Bradley and Neptune spoke to each other. Nepgear lets out a frustrated sigh and puts her N-Gear away in her right thigh pouch.

"Any good news?"

"No… My N-Gear isn't picking up a signal anywhere. That weird portal must've done something to it… I can't connect to the internet."

"Strange… My Vanity Bracelet's dead," Bradley said as he looked at his right wrist, "Our electronics are going on the fritz… What's going on?"

"Why is this happening?" Nepgear asked as she hugged Bradley. Bradley pets her long lilac purple hair and closed his eyes.

"I don't know… But, we always find a way through. First, let's point out our surroundings," Bradley told her. Neptune had already stood up and looked at the sky.

"This place is beyond creeptacular… The buildings, ground, and sky are all full of cracks and there are eyes looking from all of them," Neptune told them as she looked around. Nepgear lets go of Bradley and looked around as well.

"Something doesn't exactly sit right with me about this place… Why am I getting a sense of Déjà Vu?" Bradley asked. He then looked around and sighed.

"Well… How about we move around and see if we recognize anything?" Neptune asked as she nods her head.

"Good idea… Maybe this is our home in the future," Bradley said.

"Hey, buddy! Don't raise any death flags!" Neptune told him.

"But, now that I stop and look at this place… I don't recognize anything about this place. So, I'm guessing it's not Planeptune," Nepgear told them as she touched the side of a building.

"I wouldn't…" Bradley said as she lets out a pained cry and pulled her hand back. Her left hand was burned and smoke was coming from her hand. Bradley and Neptune went over to Nepgear and checked on her hand.

"How much does it hurt?"

"Mmm…" she whimpered as she looked at them.

"I bet it really hurts," Neptune told her. Nepgear nods her head and leaned her head onto Bradley's chest.

"Hold it up… I'll put some medicine on it," Bradley told her as he checked his pockets and pulled out a medkit from his jacket pocket. He opened the kit and pulled out the necessary meds for the job.

After 5 minutes, he wrapped gauze onto Nepgear's left hand and put the medkit back in his jacket pocket. He wiped his sweaty forehead and looked up at Nepgear.

"All done… How's that?" Bradley asked her.

"Good…" Nepgear smiled, "Um… How are you alive after all this time? You were taken down with the Deity of Sin, right?"

"To be honest… I did die then. But, I just came back today. How long was I dead?" Bradley asked her.

"4 years," Neptune answered him.

"What?! 4 years?!" Bradley panicked as he looked at them, "Man, how crazy is that?!" Bradley turned from them and walked a little ahead of them.

"Wait for us!" Neptune called as she and Nepgear raced after him.

-A Few Minutes Later- The 2 girls caught up with him and they told him everything that happened after his death. Bradley was astonished by their story.

"So, you met an alternate version of Vert, Blanc, Noire, IF, Compa, and Histy? On top of all that… There was a little girl that was forced into becoming a CPU?" Bradley told them.

"Yeah, pretty much. Although, P-Ko was still a little warrior when we needed her the most," Neptune told him.

"This Plutia… I heard that name from somewhere. But, I can't exactly remember where," Bradley thought as he folds his arms.

"Anyway… Why were you being poorly treated, Gear?" Bradley asked her.

"I don't want to talk about it…" Nepgear sighed as she rubbed her bandaged hand. Neptune sighed and looked at Nepgear.

"Well… I get it. But, I won't poke around," Bradley said as he looked ahead and stopped. A large monster hovered nearby and spotted the 3 CPUS. It roared and raced towards them.

"Uh oh! I got this!" Bradley told them as he summoned a rainbow Claymore to his side.

"With the holy blade of Celestia, I will smite thee! **Break Limit: Elemental Judgement!** " He leaped into the air and came down onto the giant bug like creature, slashing it down the middle with a hexagonal pattern. The beast fell back and crawled around on its large spidery legs.

"What the hell is this thing?" Neptune asked as she summoned a samurai katana to her side. Nepgear summoned a beam saber with an N symbol engraved on both sides of the handle to her right hand and held it in front of her.

"Whatever this thing is, it doesn't know who it's messing with! Let's transform and defeat it one fell swoop!"

"Good idea! Here we go!"

"Behold my power!"

"Processor Unit, set!"

"Come to me, Uranus! Let's fight together!" A few seconds passed… But, nothing happened.

"Uh… What?"

"Nothing happened?! What?!"

"Goodness… What should we do?!"

"Hey… Let's figure this out later! Let's take out the trash!"

"Yeah!"

"I'm with you!" The 3 CPUS charged into battle with the creature.

" **Cross Combination!** " Neptune called as she slashed the monster 7 times and knocked it to a wrecked building.

" **Slash Wave!** " Nepgear called as she stuck her blade into the ground and swung it hard and fast, creating a purple blast that crashed into the beast.

" **Hyper X Slash!** " Bradley called as he slashed the beast in an x shape and knocked it down. The beast rose up and smacked one of its legs down onto Bradley's head. He crashed down to the ground and got back up.

"Are you okay?" Nepgear asked him as she rushed up to him. He shook his head and looked at the beast.

"I'm not exactly at 100% right now… Coming back to life takes a lot of energy," Bradley sighed as sweat trailed down his forehead, "We may be in a pinch."

"Hyah!" Neptune called as she slashed the beast in the chest and kicked it backwards. She slid to a stop in front of Nepgear and Bradley and looked back at them.

"Drat… Not even a scratch," Neptune said as she snapped her fingers.

"Only way to beat it is if I can use my Sayain power… But, I can't activate it," Bradley told them, "It's like the power is locked up inside me."

"This is bad…" Neptune said as she looked ahead.

"Even so… We have to keep fighting. It's the only way to move on with the story," Neptune told Bradley.

"Neppy…" Bradley said as he looked at her.

"Besides… It's our turn to protect you," Nepgear told him as she stood up and went beside Neptune, "Let's do this, Neptune!"

"Yeah! Prepare yourself, foul beast!" Neptune called as she and Nepgear charged at the creature. Bradley looked back down at his hands and clenched his fists.

"I can't let them do this alone… I have to use what little power I have to help," Bradley said as he slowly stood up. A golden aura slowly began to build up in his clenched fists as he lowered his head. His hair began to glow an orange color as his eyes became white and veins grew on the sides of his face. Then, the energy expands on his body as he raised his head and lets out a cry of anger. Finally, the energy explodes outward and he underwent a peculiar change. His hair was bright orange, he had no pupils in his eyes, he had gained some muscle to the point to where his shirt ripped open, and his body had visible veins on it. Neptune and Nepgear stopped their attacks and saw Bradley's strange transformation. He charged past them and head-butts the creature in the chest. It lets out a pained screech and tried to swipe at Bradley. He grabbed the incoming swiping leg and broke it in half onto his knee. It screamed painfully as Bradley grabbed the broken off leg and flung it at the creature's head. The amputated leg collided with the creature's skull and knocked it off balance. Bradley then delivered several punches to the creature's body and blasted a large purple blast to its chest! The creature's chest exploded and its internal organs blew outward. The green blood splattered all over the ground… And, all over the CPUS.

"Eww! Gross!" Neptune gagged as she shook her arms off. Nepgear wrung the green blood from her hair as she continued to look at Bradley in worry. Bradley hadn't said a word as he transformed into this peculiar form. It was nothing like she ever seen before out of Bradley… It was almost like he turned into a wild animal. Nepgear walked over to him and touched his green bloody shoulder. He perked his head up with an unintelligible grunt. His eyes became green again as he looked back at Nepgear.

"Bradley? What happened to you?" Nepgear asked him seriously. Bradley blinked as he looked at her.

"I… I have no idea," he said as he held his head, "But, my head is killing me for some reason. Let's get out of here, please."

"Dude! Your hair! Look!" Neptune called to Bradley as she points to his hair. His hair was still a bright orange color!

"What?! My black hair!" Bradley said as he touched his head, "I loved that black hair! How did this happen?!"

"I don't know… But, you're right. We should keep moving," Nepgear said, "We'll ponder what happened to you in the meantime." Bradley sighed as he took Nepgear's hand and walked beside her as she and Neptune walked ahead.

-End Chapter 1-


	2. Chapter 2

The Hope Of Zero

Chapter 2: Uzume Tennoboshi

-Later- Bradley, Nepgear, and Neptune walked through the barren city as they fought several monsters along the way. As they came to an overturned building, they looked at each other.

"Hey, why don't we climb it and see where exactly are we?" Neptune offered.

"Not a bad idea," Bradley agreed as he looked at Neptune. He turned around and raced ahead.

"Hey, bully! Get back here!" Neptune called as she chased after Bradley.

"Wait for me!" Nepgear called as she raced after her boyfriend and older sister. They soon reached the top of the fallen building and stopped as they loomed over the barren wasteland of a city.

"What is this?! This is crazy!" Neptune called as she hugged her forearms. Bradley then felt a sharp pain shoot straight through his body. He sank to his knees as he cried out in agony.

"Bradley! What's wrong?!" Nepgear asked him. He shook his head as his vision started to blur. Suddenly, a scene appeared in front of his eyes. Histoire hovers in front of him and smiled at him.

"Histy? Why are you here?" Bradley asked her. But, his voice sounds so far away… Like it was muffled and hovering in the distance.

"As of today, Uzume Tennoboshi… You are the new CPU of Planeptune," Histoire smiled as she looked past him. He turned behind him and saw a red orange haired girl standing behind him. She had a broad smile on her face as she stood proudly in her spot.

"I won't let you down, Miss Histoire!" Uzume smiled as she saluted Histoire. Uzume had a high pitched voice as she spoke. Bradley thought that was really cute… And, he thought this Uzume girl was really cute. Bradley stood up as the scene changed around him. The scene changed to a peaceful grassy plain that stretched across the horizon. Uzume laid in the grass as she looked up in the sky.

"Miss Uzume!" a male voice called to her. She sat up and saw a green haired young male walk up to her with a broad smile on his face.

"Hey, Umio! How are you? Doing well with that grasslands project?" Uzume smiled.

"It is coming along quite nicely… But, I must ask for your help with a certain item. Could you retrieve it for me?" Umio asked her. Uzume stood up and nods her head.

"I'll get it for you! What kind of item are we talking about here?" Uzume asked him.

"It's a type of ore that can be found in the nearby dungeon," Umio told her, "It's called… Metrino." Uzume pulls out a small orange notepad and wrote down her mission. She then puts away the notepad and stretched her body out.

"All righty! Here we go!" Uzume called as she rushed off, "I will be back, Umio!"

"Good luck, Lady Uzume!" Umio called as he waved to her. Bradley was right behind Umio as he watched this unfold. Then, the scene changed to an alleyway as Uzume raced away from something with a very terrified expression on her face. She was being chased by a large shadow like figure. The figure was holding a black crystal in one hand while he held a long sharp dagger in the other hand.

"Leave me alone! Why are you trying to kill me?!" Uzume panicked as she continued to run away from the shadow.

"Your existence is the very reason Planeptune is falling into delusion! You must be stopped!" the figure told her as it cornered her at a dead end of the alleyway. Uzume froze as the figure got closer to her.

"Now, you can't escape… Your time is up, Orange Heart…"

"N-no… P-please, don't…" Uzume whimpered as she sunk to her knees and looked away.

"You can't fly out of this one, little girl… And, no one is here to save you," the figure told her as Uzume covered her face in her hands and looked away.

"STOP!" Bradley called to no avail… But, he remembered that he couldn't interfere at all for some reason, "Damn! There has to be something I can do!"

"Lady Uzume, watch out!" a voice called as Umio raced over and sucker punched the figure in the back of the head with a piece of plywood.

"U-Umio…" she sniveled as she looked up at Umio kneeling in front of her.

"My lady… Are you unharmed?" Umio asked as he puts a hand on her trembling right shoulder. Uzume hugged Umio as she bawled in his arms.

"Umio… Umio!" she sobbed. The figure was still knocked out as Umio helped Uzume to her feet.

"It is all right, Lady Uzume… I will always believe in you," he told her. Bradley sighed with relief as Umio and Uzume passed by him. Suddenly, he saw the figure's left hand twitch.

"Crap! He's still conscious?! Hey! Please hear me! He's getting back up! HEY!" Bradley called as the figure got back to his feet and charged at them. Umio turned around and shoved Uzume out of harms way… As he took a knife to his heart!

"UMIO!" Uzume and Bradley screamed at the same time as Umio fell backwards onto the ground. Blood pours from his mouth and chest as he coughed up more blood. Uzume was visually freaking out as she crawled over to him and pulled the knife out of Umio's chest. She tossed the knife aside as new tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Umio! Please, Umio! Don't do this to me!" Uzume sobbed. Bradley stood there, motionless as a dark aura manifested around him. He glared at the figure with so much rage… That he snapped. A bloody red scythe materialized in his right hand.

" **You… You will perish!** "

"What the?! Who are you?!" the figure called as it took a few steps backwards away from Bradley.

" **Me? I'm known as the Grim Reaper,** " Bradley told him as a black cloak shrouds around his body. He walked closer to the figure and stopped to look back at Uzume. She was looking at Bradley in shock.

" **It's too late to save him… Go. I will cut down this lowlife scum in your place.** " Uzume looked down at Umio and shook her head.

"I can't leave him! I can't…" Uzume told Bradley.

" **If you don't go now, his act of heroism with be in vain! Go now!** " Bradley ordered as he glanced back at Uzume.

"Listen to what he is telling you, my lady… I want you to live your dream. Even if… I have… To die… For your… Dream… I will…" Umio coughed as more blood poured out of his chest.

"Umio…" Uzume sniveled.

"Lady Uzume… I want you to know something… When we first met… I admit I immediately fell in love with you. I wanted to devote my life to help you achieve that dream… And now… It looks like that dream… Will have to wait…" Umio told her. Uzume bowed her head. Bradley slashed the figure in the chest and grabbed it by the throat.

" **I won't let you leave this place alive… I'll send you straight to hell!** " Bradley yelled as he puts pressure into the figure's neck. The figure lets out strangled gasps as it tried to break free of Bradley's hold. Finally, Bradley snapped the figure's neck and tossed him aside. Uzume was already gone by the time Bradley turned around. Umio's body was also gone.

" **My business is done here,** " Bradley said as the scythe and cloak disappeared, "Let's head back."

"Exe… That was convenient that you could go into a flashback," Bradley said.

" **I didn't do that,** " Exe told Bradley.

"Say what? Then…" Bradley said as he felt the same sharp pain course through his body and his vision blurred as the scenery around him changed into what looked like a base. He quickly sat up and looked around. A towel fell onto his bare chest when he sat up. He picked up the towel and looked at it.

"What the? Was that all a dream?" Bradley asked as he tossed the towel into a nearby bucket of warm water, "Neppy?! Gear?!" He quickly got to his feet and raced out of the small medical room that he was in. He stopped when he saw a small brown creature skittering towards him.

"Oh! You're awake!" the creature called, "I'll let the others know!"

"Wait! Hold on a sec! Where am I?!" Bradley asked the creature as he picked it up and looked at it.

"Hey! Please put me down! I'm not too fond of heights!" the creature told him.

"Oh… Sorry," Bradley told the creature as he sets it down onto the ground, "What are you, exactly? I've never seen a creature like you before."

"I'm a Baby Bug. I live here with my friends," the creature told him.

"Baby Bug… So, that's what your species name is. Do you have a nickname?" Bradley asked the creature.

"No… I never had a nickname before," Baby Bug told him.

"Then, I'll call you… Nicky," Bradley told the Baby Bug. Nicky gasped as his eyes twinkled brightly.

"I love it!" Nicky cheered.

"And, my name is Bradley Phoenix… Nice to meet you, Nicky," Bradley told the Baby Bug, "So, where am I, exactly?"

"I'll tell you… Follow me," Nicky smiled as he skittered forwards. Bradley followed Nicky and listened to what Nicky told him.

"Zero Dimension? I see… So, this entire place is a wasteland? And, there are giants here?" Bradley asked.

"Mm-hmm! Miss Uzume is taking care of them," Nicky told Bradley.

"Wait… Where have I heard that name before? Oh, wait!" Bradley thought as he snapped his fingers, "The girl from my dreams!"

"Bradley!" Nepgear's voice called as she raced towards him and hugged him.

"Hey, you… Are you okay? You're covered in scratches," Bradley told Nepgear.

"I'm okay… I was more worried about you," Nepgear told him as she looked at him.

"I just felt a little weak out there, that's all… I just needed some rest," Bradley told her as he pets her head.

"Yay! Bradley's awake!" Neptune called as she pounced on Bradley and knocked him to the ground.

"Oof!" Bradley grunted. Nepgear and Neptune were smiling at him and hugging him.

"Nepsy, Gearsy… And, this must be Bradsy," a voice called as a red orange haired girl came into view. She wore a torn white shirt and dark brown shorts with black suspenders strapped on her shoulders.

"Bradsy? If you're gonna nickname me, take me out on a date first," Bradley joked as he stood up. Nepgear and Neptune stood up as well.

"Date? Huh… Never thought about something like that," she told him.

"Uzume, no… This one is Nepgear's boy toy," Neptune told her.

"Hey, I'm just joking… Name's Uzume Tennoboshi. Nice to meet you," Uzume told him. Bradley shook her hand and smiled.

"Phoenix… Bradley Phoenix," Bradley told her.

"Let's bring you up to speed on our current situation," Uzume told him.

-End Chapter 2-


	3. Chapter 3

The Hope Of Zero

Chapter 3: A Secret

-Later; Strange City- Uzume, Bradley, Neptune, and Nepgear walked through the barren city and stopped when they came across a plateau in the middle of the city. Uzume turned to them and folds her arms.

"This is where I usually see the giant… Be on your guard, ok?" Uzume asked as she nods her head.

"Chill out, Uzume… We got this," Neptune said as she waved her hand at Uzume.

"Hey, Uzume… What's that up ahead?" Nepgear asked her. A horde of monsters raced towards them.

"Holy crap! That's a lot of monsters!" Bradley called as he pulled out his Claymore and held it in front of hm. Uzume called forth a megaphone to her side and got into a fighting stance.

"Here they come!" Uzume called as Neptune and Nepgear got ready for battle. Bradley leaps into the air and slashed an incoming giant spider in half. Uzume screamed into her megaphone and halts several advancing monsters. Neptune and Nepgear double slashed several of the halted monsters and Bradley flung a huge black energy shuriken at the creatures, blowing them up.

"What attack was that, Bradsy?" Uzume asked as she looked over at him.

"I saw that move in an anime 5pb. once showed me," Bradley told her, "I think it was called Six Paths: Massive Rasen Shuriken."

"Cool! I wanna learn how to do that!" Neptune told Bradley.

"Uh, Neptune? I don't think that would work," Nepgear told Neptune as Neptune held her hand above her head. Nothing happened.

"Aww… Not cool," Neptune pouted as she lowered her hand.

"Sorry, Nepsy… I wish I could make it better," Uzume told Neptune.

"Look out!" Bradley suddenly yelled as he pulled Uzume and Neptune out of harms way. A 4 legged dog monster leaped at them and skids to a stop. The 3 of them got to their feet. Uzume smirked as she stepped up in front of them.

"Of course it's you, bastard… It always is you, anyway," Uzume smirked.

"You know that thing?" Nepgear asked.

"You could say that, yes… He and I are like rotten best friends. Whenever I try to get to the giant, he's always there to stop me. But, this time… I'll be able to win!" Uzume told them as she pulled out a lilac sliver from her left shirt pocket.

"Is that… A Share Crystal?" Nepgear wondered.

"Hey, ugly… You're in for a treat. I got some friends here to help me beat you! Let's do this, shall we? Transform!" Uzume called as she was covered in a white light. When the light disappeared, Uzume was wearing a white one piece bathing suit with orange skates on her feet. Her hair color changed from red orange to bright orange with the hair tied in pigtails on her head. There were power symbols in her orange eyes.

"Transformation complete!" she said in a tone that Bradley recognized.

"I know that voice! It's the same from my vision! This is the same girl?!" Bradley thought as he looked at her. Suddenly, he was encased in a bright light. He changed into his CPU form… But, his processor was orange colored!

"Huh?! What the?!" Neptune called as she looked at him.

"How did I…" Bradley asked as he looked at himself.

"Ask questions later, Bradsy! Let's get the doggie!" Uzume told Bradley. A Claymore materialized in his right hand as he stood up.

"Neptune, Nepgear! Back us up!" Bradley called as he raced at the creature. Neptune and Nepgear raced behind him with their weapons drawn as Uzume flew above them. She screamed into her megaphone and bursts the creature's ears. It screeched at the pain and tried to cover its ears as Bradley stops behind it and grabbed it by the tail. He flung the creature into the air and looked at Neptune and Nepgear. They nodded and leaped into the air.

"Here we go, Nep Jr.!"

"Right behind you, Neptune!"

" **This is our sisterly combination! Violet Buster!** " both of them called as they continuously slashed the creature and knocked it to the ground.

"Nice, Nepsy! Gearsy! I'll take it from here!" Uzume called as she flew down towards the creature. The creature got up and unleashed a black beam at Uzume.

"Not on my watch, bub! **Onyx Chidori!** " Bradley called as he appeared in front of Uzume and stopped the incoming black blast with his electrified left hand. Uzume curved around Bradley and reared her right fist back.

"Take this, doggie! **Dream Smash Fist!** " Uzume called as she slammed her fist into the creature's head. Her fist was surrounded by an orange colored energy drill as she punched the creature in the head. It screamed in agony as her fist drilled into its head furiously. Bradley and Nepgear rushed at it full force as Neptune summoned a large blade from the sky. A second Claymore appeared in his left hand as he continued to charge at the creature.

" **32 Bit Mega Blade!** " Neptune called as she ordered the blade in the sky to race at the creature.

" **Take this! Mirage Break!** " Nepgear called as she and Bradley furiously slashed the creature's body with their swords. The mega blade crashed into the creature and blew up on contact. The creature slid across the ground and slowly got back up. It roared and fired a black beam at Uzume, knocking her to the ground as well. She quickly got back up and shook her head.

"Owwie… That hurt. I won't forgive you for that!" Uzume called as she shook her head. She cracked her neck and charged at the creature. She quickly kicked it and launched herself into the air.

" **Dream Roar!** " she screamed into her megaphone and the ground cracked apart from the force of the soundwave. The creature reeled at the pain as Neptune rushed towards it.

" **Victory Slash!** " she called as she slashed the creature in a v-shaped slash.

"Nice, Neppy! Let me have the finishing blow!" Bradley called as he charged ahead. He jumped high into the air and placed his hands in front of him as he puts his 2 swords away.

" **Shadow Clone Jutsu!** " he called as he called forth hundreds of clones to his sides. They all held large blue orbs in their hands.

" **I never got the chance to use this against the Deity Of Sin… But, you'll have to do! Sage Art: Massive Rasengan Barrage!** " all the Bradley clones called as they dove straight for the creature. They collided the orbs into the creature's back and blew it into a nearby ruined building! The original Bradley charged a large blue shuriken with a blue orb in the middle.

"Let's finish this once and for all!" Bradley called as he raced towards the creature. He stopped and threw the orb shuriken with all his might.

" **True Wind Style: Massive Rasen Shuriken!** " Bradley yelled. The large orb shuriken explodes on contact with the creature's body and knocked it out! The Bradley clones disappeared into a puff of smoke.

"Sweet! We did it!" Uzume cheered as she hops up and down happily.

"Phew… That took longer than I expected," Bradley panted as he wiped the sweat from his forehead, "I am really gonna have to train hard again if I want to get back to where I was." He returned to normal and shook his head.

"Don't push yourself too hard, Bradley… Take a little time to rest, okay?" Nepgear told him as she rubbed his back. He turned back to her and nods his head.

"I'll be sure to do that," Bradley sighed, "I do have a question, though… Uzume, what is that form of yours?"

"I'm Orange Heart! Nice to meet you!" she smiled.

"Her whole demeanor took a 180," Bradley thought as a sweatdrop trailed down his forehead.

"So, do you recognize me? From anywhere?" Bradley asked.

"Hmm… Not really," Uzume told him as she shook her head.

"Maybe this might jog your memory," he said as a black hooded cloak shrouded around him.

"!"

"What are you doing?" Nepgear asked.

"You're…" Uzume gasped, "The Reaper?!"

"Yeah… Sorry for your loss," Bradley told her.

"I don't know what you're going on about… But, are you evil?" she asked him.

"Right… I shouldn't bring up Umio's death," Bradley said as he nods his head, "Well… Yes and no."

"What do you mean? Uzume doesn't understand," Uzume said.

"Well… How do I explain this? I have a dark side, yes… But, he and I made amends," Bradley told Uzume.

"So, you're not evil?!" Uzume asked as she hovered up to him.

"No… Also, you can also say I'm a CPU," Bradley told her as he placed a hand on his chest, "I have a core inside me that allows me to turn into a CPU. Basically, what I just changed out of is my CPU form."

"Wow! Nepsy and Gearsy are lucky to have a CPU around to protect them!" Uzume said happily as she lands in front of Bradley.

"Uh, yeah… About that," Bradley said as he scratched the back of his head.

"What?"

"We're also CPUS, too," Neptune smirked as she puts her hands on her hips.

"What?! Really?!" Uzume gasped.

"How else are we able to do half the stuff we just did?" Neptune asked.

"No way! This is awesome!" Uzume smiled as she hops up and down.

"But, we don't have any shares here… So, it's not like we can transform at any time," Nepgear said as she nods her head.

"What I wanna know is that how can Bradley transform into a similar form to yours, Uzume?" Neptune asked.

"Beats me! Do you know, Bradsy?" Uzume asked as she looked at Bradley.

"Well, it might be connected to the way I felt when we came here the first time," Bradley said as he looked at Neptune and Nepgear.

"The dizzy spell you had before?" Nepgear realized as she covered her mouth.

"Yep… I had several visions when I was out," Bradley told them, "I'll explain those later."

"Bradley… Umm… I have something to tell you," Nepgear said nervously as she looked down at her twiddling fingers.

"What is it?"

"I… Kept a secret from you," Nepgear said as she looked up at him, "Remember when we fought the Deity Of Sin and the night before that?"

"Yeah… How could I forget that? Why?" Bradley smirked.

"…"

"Wait! Nep Jr., don't tell him yet!" Neptune told Nepgear as she covered her mouth.

"Wait… Did I…" Bradley asked seriously as he looked at Nepgear. She sighed as she nods her head and removed Neptune's hand from her mouth.

"When we… You know… Did it… And, after you died… I got pregnant. And, I gave birth to B.J.," Nepgear said as she looked at him, "It's a lot to take in at once… But, B.J. loves you, despite knowing that you died. But, now that you're alive…"

"I'm a dad… Wow. Um… That's a thing," Bradley said as he began to pass out, "Yay…" He fell back and slipped into unconsciousness.

"Called it!" Neptune smirked as she puts her hands on her hips.

"Nepsy, I don't think that was a reason to say that," Uzume said as she returned to normal.

"He took it rather well," Nepgear said as she knelt in front of him. Suddenly, a large red circle surrounds Nepgear and Bradley and a large explosion followed suit!

"Nepgear! Bradley!" Neptune called. As the explosion died down, Nepgear laid down on the ground next to Bradley in pain as her clothes were torn.

"Where did that come from?!"

"The giant… You bastard!" Uzume snarled as she looked behind her at the buildings behind her. A large purple being stood behind the buildings, glancing in their direction.

"Nepsy, get ready!"

"Uzume, what about Nepgear and Bradley?!" Neptune asked seriously.

"Damn it… Do you know any healing abilities?!" Uzume asked seriously.

"No… Nepgear does… And, so does Bone, Bradley's Dogoo," Neptune said as she shook her head, "But, Bone isn't here to lick Bradley's wounds."

"Look out!" Uzume called as she pulled Neptune out of the way. There was a large explosion that knocked Uzume and Neptune into a large building.

"Crap! That thing won't let up!" Uzume growled as she glared at the giant.

"Oww! That hurt!" Neptune groaned as she held her head.

"We need to counterattack now! Who knows what else that thing is planning!" Uzume told her, "Come on!"

"Uzume…"

"No, we have to strike…"

"No! We have to get them some help!"

"Oww… That hurt. What hit me?" Bradley asked as he sat up.

"Bradsy, bad timing!" Uzume groaned as she slapped her forehead.

"Sorry… What happened to Gear?!" Bradley gasped as he looked at Nepgear.

"Help me get her to safety! Please!" Neptune told him.

"Calm down, Neppy… We'll get her to safety. Uh, what is that?" Bradley asked as he looked at the giant.

"The giant… That's the thing that just attacked us," Uzume told him.

"Oh, boy… Should we run? We're woefully unprepared for this," Bradley told them.

"No… I've waited too long for a chance like this. I'm gonna go, even if the flesh was falling off my body! I will not let that thing have its way!" Uzume told them as she stood up and faced the giant.

"Uzume, better grit those teeth!" Bradley yelled as he punched Uzume full force in the face. She sailed several feet to the ground and stood up, holding her face.

"What the hell?!" Uzume snarled as she glared at him.

"You are not acting suicidal on me, Uzume… Can't let you do that looking like you came out of a blender," Bradley said simply as he looked at her. He grabs her and hoisted her over his left shoulder.

"What the?! Put me down, you bastard! I'm serious!" Uzume yelled as he pounds on his back. Bradley grabs Nepgear and tucks her under his right arm.

"Follow me, Neppy… We're moving out! Heave ho!" Bradley told Neptune.

"Right behind ya!" Neptune called as she raced after him. The giant unleashed several beams of light at the surrounding buildings, blowing them up in the process.

"Keep running!" Bradley told Neptune. Pieces of the building fell to the ground, breaking it apart. As soon as they got to safety, Bradley drops Uzume and Nepgear and sank to his knees.

"Man, that was rough," Bradley panted as he wiped his forehead, "I have got to start training more."

"What the hell was that?! We should've stayed there and fight the good fight!" Uzume snarled as she got up. Bradley placed a hand on Nepgear's forehead and wiped some of the blood that trailed down.

"You'll be okay, sweetie… I promise," he said softly.

"…"

"I was more concerned about her than that stupid giant… No way am I sacrificing my lover to some damn monster! We have to get her some medical attention!" Bradley told Uzume as he looked at her, "Right now, I will lay down a few ground rules… 1: Know your limitations. 2: We can't be reckless and go charging in without a plan. 3: Have some consideration that we need to be alive for anything to be protected. Understand?"

"…"

"Sounds like a yes… Now, let's head back to base," Bradley said as he picked Nepgear up bridal style in his arms.

"This way…" Uzume sighed as she led the group to her base.

(Sorry for lack of updates… Crap and FREAKING WRITER'S BLOCK has this story down in the dumps! Don't worry… I will try and update! But, can't make any promises! A/N.)

(Aww… Don't be mean… Plutia)

(-Sigh-… Why am I stuck with Plutia? Anyway, have a good day! A/N.)

(Bye! Plutia)

-End Chapter 3-


	4. Chapter 4

The Hope Of Zero

Chapter 4: High And Mighty

(Also, forgot to mention… This particular story took place in another universe from A Shade Of Green And Purple. Forgot to put that in the Summary of the story. A/N.)

-2 Days Later; Uzume's Base- Bradley came back to Uzume's base and dropped a large duffel bag on the floor.

"Phew! What a workout! I'm back! And, I got supplies!" Bradley called. Uzume and Nepgear went up to him and greeted him as he cracked his back.

"How was training?" Uzume asked him as he looked at Uzume.

"Not bad… But, I did say I found supplies," Bradley told them as he picked the duffel bag up and opened it up to reveal a mound of medicine and food inside.

"Whoa! Where the heck did you find all this stuff?" Uzume gasped.

"I found it all in a shop in the ruined city… You would not believe how overlooked those places are," Bradley told them as he walked past them.

"Bradley, you're back!" Nicky the Baby Bug called as he pounced on Bradley. Bradley was tackled to the floor by the creature and lands on his back.

"Oww… Nice tackle," Bradley told the Baby Bug.

"You told me to put my back into it!" Nicky smiled.

"I regret saying that," Bradley sighed as he stood up and brushed himself off.

"Hey, Bradsy… I remember Nepsy saying you befriended a Dogoo before back where you guys came from," Uzume said as she looked over at Bradley.

"Yeah… I took care of him ever since he was a little Pupgoo," Bradley told Uzume, "He's my little buddy. I wish he was here with us."

"Well, B.J. loves Bone… I think you've done a great job raising him," Nepgear smiled.

"Speaking of which… Do you have a picture of B.J.? I wanna see the little tyke," Bradley told Nepgear.

"Yeah… I'm kinda interested, too," Uzume smirked.

"I have a photo right in here," Nepgear said as she pulls out a locket necklace from around her neck and opened it up. A photo of a blue haired boy about 4 years old was on the inside. He had a blue shirt and green shorts on as well as a blue bandanna around his neck.

"Why is he wearing a bandanna?" Bradley asked.

"He wants to be a cowboy," Nepgear told him. Bradley smirked as he nods his head.

"I remember that phase… That was awesome. Like father, like son… That phrase never gets old," Bradley said.

"Hey… He has a tail just like Bradsy does," Uzume said as she points to the small brown tail behind B.J. and looked back at Bradley's long brown tail.

"He is part Sayain, after all… Sweet!" Bradley smirked.

"Despite knowing that you're dead… He still wishes that you were with me and him," Nepgear told Bradley.

"…"

"I don't mean to hold it against you…"

"No, I got it. A child needs both parents in their life, I know. I want to be there for the both of you… And, that will start as soon as we get home," Bradley smiled as he pets Nepgear's head.

"Bradley…"

"You know how much I love you… I will do anything for you," Bradley told Nepgear. She smiled and hugged him tightly.

"I love you, too… More than I could stand," Nepgear smiled.

"Heh… You 2 are sweet together," Uzume smiled.

"YOU GUYS!" Neptune called as she raced towards them.

"I was wondering where you went to, Nepsy… What is it?" Uzume asked.

"There's some weird guy in one of the rooms!" Neptune told them.

"Weird guy?" Bradley asked.

"Come on!" Neptune told them. She led them into a room where a tall pale skinned brown haired male was laying on the floor, rubbing his head.

"Another person has appeared?" Bradley asked as he looked at the male.

"Oww… I hate dimension travel," the male groaned as he shook his head.

"Who are you?" Bradley asked.

"Nick… You're Bradley, right?" he said as he stood up and walked over to Bradley.

"Mmhmm… Nick is your name? How do you know my name?" Bradley asked as he looked at Nick.

"Well… I'm from another Hyperdimension. And, I know you… Because, I know your older self," Nick told him, "You saved my life before… And, I became a big fan of your work. So, I've been training… And, I've gotten stronger."

"Oh? And, how strong are you?" Bradley asked.

"Wait… Are you gonna test me?" Nick asked.

"Yeah… I'm not as strong as I once was. Let's see you try and outdo me," Bradley told Nick.

"Ok… Let's go!" Nick smirked.

-Outside Uzume's Base- Nick and Bradley faced each other, ready for a sparring match. Bradley called out Celestia as Nick called out a quarterstaff to his left side.

"A staff? Man, you remind me of Nazo," Bradley told him as he held his Claymore out in front of him.

"Let's do this!" Nick called as he and Bradley charged at each other. They passed by each other as Nick placed a small card on Bradley's back.

"A card?" Nepgear asked as she saw the card.

" **Card Magic: Vanity Zero!** " Nick called as a bolt of lightning struck Bradley and knocked him down to the ground.

"Whoa! Are you okay?!" Neptune called as she and Nepgear tried to rush to Bradley's side. Uzume held her hand out to stop them.

"Wait… This is between Bradley and Nick," Uzume told them as Bradley got to his feet.

"Didn't know you could use card magic… Brian is more accustomed to card and book magic," Bradley told Nick.

"Brian?" Nick asked.

"Oh… He's from my world," Bradley told him.

"Got it! Hey, I got another move! **Hell Raiser!** " Nick called as he flung his staff at Bradley.

" **Darkness Cross!** " Bradley called as he swung his Claymore out in front of him. He created a black slash and deflected the staff into the air. The staff hovered above Bradley as he faced Nick.

"Is that all you got?" Bradley asked.

"Nope… Look above you," Nick told Bradley as he points above him. Bradley looked and saw the staff spinning above him.

"What the?!"

"Rain down!" Nick called as he swung his left arm down. Millions of needles shot out of the staff as small compartments opened up around the staff. Bradley looked in shock at the raining needles. Suddenly, memories of the battle with the Deity Of Sin surfaced and the needles were replaced with giant balls of light.

"Die, boy!" the Deity Of Sin's voice yelled as the balls of light got closer. Bradley covered himself as the needles crashed down onto him.

"Enough!" Nepgear called as she raced to Bradley's side. Bradley laid down on the ground as blood seeped from some wounds on his body.

"I-I'm sorry…I didn't…" Nick panicked as he caught his staff and rushed to Bradley's side.

"No… It's okay, Nick. It's not your fault," Uzume told Nick.

"Bradley, are you okay?" Nepgear asked Bradley quietly, "What happened?"

"…"

"Tell me… You know I'll always listen."

"A memory from 4 years ago resurfaced and caused me to freeze up," Bradley told her as he looked up at her.

"Bradley… The Deity Of Sin is gone. You finished her off, remember?" Nepgear told him as she pulled some needles out of his back.

"Maybe that battle did a lot of emotional pain to me as well…" Bradley told her as he looked up at her.

"It scarred a lot of us, Bradley… But, we overcame it. You can, too," Nepgear smiled at him as she finished pulling the needles out of Bradley's body.

"Thank you," Bradley groaned as he slowly sat up.

"Man, I…" Nick said.

"No need… It's fine. I just need to clean my wounds," Bradley smiled kindly, "You are strong, no doubt about it… You are a close and long range fighter. That's definitely a plus."

"Thanks… You gonna be okay?" Nick asked Bradley.

"Yeah… I still need a little more time before I can get back to the way I used to be," Bradley told Nick. He stood up and held his left shoulder as he walked past Uzume and Neptune.

"Go check on him, Nep Jr… He is your boyfriend," Neptune said. Nepgear got up and rushed after Bradley.

-Later That Day; Rooftop Bath- Bradley rinsed the rest of the blood that dried on his back and sighed as he looked at the long scar on his back. He touched the tip of it and shook his head.

"It's still a nasty looking scar…" Nepgear's voice called to him as she walked up to his left side wearing nothing but a white bath towel around her torso.

"Nepgear? Why are you up here?" Bradley asked slightly blushing.

"You look like you needed a friend," Nepgear smiled as she held his hand.

"Friend… Yeah, I kinda needed my girlfriend," Bradley teased as he looked at her.

"Ehehe… Yeah," Nepgear giggled, "Listen… Can I ask?"

"What's on your mind?"

"How was it like to… You know, die?" Nepgear asked as she looked at him.

"It kinda feels like you're falling asleep… But, you can't wake up," Bradley told her, "Then, it feels like you're being born again… Does that make any sense?"

"A little… But, you do realize that I wasn't born the way you were born," Nepgear told him.

"Yeah… Noire told me how Uni was born. Shares brought the Candidates to life, right?"

"Mmhmm…"

"Then, I have a question for you."

"Okay…"

"How was B.J. born?"

"Naturally… Childbirth. Don't make me go through something like that again… It was really painful."

"Uh… I can't make any promises."

"Hey!"

"It's a part of life, Gear my dear! I don't have any control over childbirth!"

"If we have another kid… Will you be there?"

"I'll be damn sure to be there, no matter what."

"Thank you… Home ain't the same without you there."

"By the way… Have you gotten taller from when we last saw each other?"

"You noticed?"

"Yes, Nepgear… You got longer hair, too. About 3 more inches from last time."

"Well, I could say the same for you… You've gotten a few inches taller, too. I've never noticed until now…"

"Thank you… I wasn't exactly sitting on my ass while I was dead. I trained with Uranus the entire time… But, without my original CPU form… I can't show you the fruits of my training."

"Well, when we get back home… How about we find out then?"

"Sounds like a plan… In the meantime… Let's talk about B.J. for now. What's his favorite color?"

"Can't choose between green or purple."

"Really? Okay… Favorite food?"

"He just started eating tacos… And, he said he loves them. So, I'll go out on a limb and say tacos."

"That's my boy… Ugh, they grow up so fast… Ok, what does he like to do?"

"Hmm… He's taken a liking to anything electronic and he's built a T.V. from scratch."

"What?"

"I'm serious… When he was 2, he dismantled and reassembled the T.V. in the living room in less than 3 hours."

"…"

"Bradley?"

"I don't know whether to be impressed or scared by his genius… He must get that from you."

"No… You dismantled and reassembled a computer for Vert before, remember?"

"He gets it from me?"

"Yes!"

"Uh huh… I expected that he got it from you. Well, never mind… Does he get along with everyone?"

"Well… Not Noire. He doesn't like Noire for some reason…"

"He hates tsunderes… Or just Noire. I don't know where he gets that one from."

"He loves Rom, though… She babysits him all the time."

"I figured as much… What about Histy? Or my siblings?"

"He's actually excited to see his aunts and uncles… I expected the worst."

"You and me both…"

"So… Is there any other questions?"

"Just one… Did he meet Plutia?"

"…"

"He did, didn't he?"

"She scared him half to death… After Neptune took her pudding the last time she visited."

"-Sigh-…"

"I know… It took me all night to finally put him to sleep."

"Well… At least you're doing a great job taking care of him."

"Thanks… I needed that."

"You're welcome… Now…" Bradley suddenly removed the towel from around Nepgear's body.

"Eek! Hey, what are you…" Nepgear panicked as she covered herself. Bradley pounced on her and held her down.

"I want it… What about you?"

"…" Nepgear didn't respond as she leaned in to kiss him. He returned the kiss and smirked.

"You are a wild animal…" Nepgear blushed as they pulled apart.

"I know… I am a space monkey," Bradley joked as he tail swung out quickly behind him.

-That Night; Uzume's Room- Uzume laid in her bed, her hand on her forehead as she looked at the ceiling.

"Hey, Uzume! You up?" Nepgear's voice called as she knocked on the door.

"Yeah, Gearsy… Come in…" Uzume sighed as she sat up. Nepgear walked in and closed the door behind her.

"Whatcha need, Gearsy?"

"Well… It's kinda serious. And, I don't want anyone to find out," Nepgear said as she sat down in front of Uzume.

"You aren't coming onto me, are you? I don't go that way, Gearsy…" Uzume said.

"No, you jerk! It's about Brad!" Nepgear said as she punched Uzume in the shoulder.

"Ok… What do you need?" Uzume asked.

"Well… I wanna do something special for him. Bradley told me and Neptune that his birthday is coming up! And, I wanna do something special for him… So, I need your help. Tomorrow, you and I could go out and search for something he might like in the ruined city. Remember that he found those meds in the city, right?" Nepgear said.

"Yeah… I remember," Uzume said.

"Well, what do you say?"

"I'm in!" Uzume smirked as she looked at her.

"Great! We'll set out early tomorrow morning," Nepgear smiled.

(Yo… Gotta end the chapter here. I'll start fresh in the next chapter! Peace out! A/N.)

(Stop acting hip… It's unbecoming. Blanc)

(Thanks for ruining my fun… A/N.)

(That's Blanc for you! Neptune)

-End Chapter 4-


End file.
